Luther Brown of the Multiracial Alliance of the Rutland Area (MARA) talks about the history and purpose of MARA. Jim Davidson of the Rutland Historical Society describes the "Black Presence In Rutland in the Late 18th and Early 19th Century Up To the End of the Civil War". Rutland had a number of black persons of significant achievement. Persons of color also comprised over one percent of the Rutland population by 1860. Rutland contributed 20 black members to the Massachusetts 54th Regiment (black).